Dispatches: U.S. Peace Corps Reassesses Central America Operations
“The worst thing about it is that now I am a liar,” said Kevin Wandolowski, reflecting on the consequences of his early close of service from the Peace Corps in Guatemala. “You spend two years with these people. They invite you to their house, give you food—which they cannot afford to—and genuinely love you. You … Read more
Technology: E-Commerce Regulation in Brazil
Brazil is a major participant in the global growth in e-commerce. In 2011, 32 million Brazilians made an online purchase—a 39-percent jump from a year earlier, accounting for approximately $19 billion in online sales and elevating it to seventh place in worldwide online sales. By 2015, Brazil is projected to rise to fourth place, following … Read more
Energy: Argentina’s Shale Gas Revolution
April 26, 2012: Below is an updated version of this article, which originally appeared in the Spring 2012 issue of Americas Quarterly. The boom in shale gas—natural gas trapped in shale deposits—is no longer a North American phenomenon. Argentina, with 774 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of recoverable shale gas resources, holds the world’s third-largest reserves—placing … Read more
[i]Como o eleitor escolhe seu prefeito: campanha e voto nas eleições municipais[/i] by Antonio Lavareda and Helcimara Telles, Editors
In Brazil, most voters do not identify with a political party. In spite of this relatively low level of partisanship, Brazilian elections, at least at the presidential level, have settled down into contests between the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) and the Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (PSDB). The PSDB, led by Fernando Henrique Cardoso, won … Read more
[i]Latin Lessons: How South America Stopped Listening to the United States and Started Prospering[/i] by Hal Weitzman
South America has been one of the rare pleasant surprises on the global economic scene in recent years. While developed countries struggle with debt and recession, much of the region maintains stability and impressive economic growth. Income is largely on the rise, and unemployment and poverty are on the decline. This is quite a change … Read more
From The Think Tanks
The unprecedented process of economic reform currently under way will irreversibly change Cuba’s domestic political economy. According to a new report, Reaching Out: Cuba’s New Economy and the International Response, published by the Latin America Initiative at the Brookings Institution, the changes are also providing openings for outside assistance, once thought impossible. This timely monograph … Read more
Colchagua Wine Tours
Wine connoisseurs have long admired the Bordeaux, Carmenere and Syrah varietals of Chile’s Central Valley. Only recently, though, have the vineyards themselves become popular destinations for tourists seeking the wine-tasting experience of California’s Napa Valley or Argentina’s Mendoza province. Chile’s Colchagua Valley, at the southern end of the Rapel Valley and about 100 miles (161 … Read more
La Mano Ajena
Anyone who doubts that Chile boasts some of the region’s boldest musical experimentation has only to listen to La Mano Ajena. The seven-member group, which blends traditional Jewish and Eastern European klezmer music with Latin American rumba, joropo and tango, returned to Chile’s music scene in late 2011 after a three-year hiatus, and is currently … Read more
10 Things to Do: Punta del Este, Uruguay
Punta del Este, Uruguay, Often referred to as the St. Tropez of Latin America, Uruguay’s Punta del Este is a top summertime playground for Uruguayans, Brazilians and Argentines. During the December–February high season, the coastal city’s population jumps from 7,500 to 160,000. This vacation hotspot offers a relaxed lifestyle, plenty of beaches, golf courses, five-star … Read more
Haiti’s [i]Ciné Institute[/i]
Aspiring Haitian filmmakers are learning their craft free of charge thanks to Ciné Institute, a Jacmel-based school founded in 2008 by American filmmaker David Belle. The nonprofit school has created a two-year university curriculum that includes courses in English and computer literacy, as well as a complete film education, from cinematography to editing and multimedia … Read more
Costa Rican Roller Derby
Roller derby, popular in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s, is catching fire in Costa Rica. The Roller Derby Costa Rica league, founded just one year ago, already has three teams—two in San José and one in the northern city of Heredia. And they’re likely to expand. A recent Facebook flier promoting an upcoming … Read more
The Hemisphere’s Spaghetti Bowl of Free-Trade Agreements
Twenty years after the launch of market reforms, Latin American countries are among the most active players in the international trading system, thanks to their participation in free-trade agreements (FTAs) and preferential market access accords. As the network of Latin American and Caribbean free-trade agreements matures—with more than 20 intraregional FTAs signed—this is the time … Read more
The Future of Electoral Observation
Free and fair elections are the accepted litmus test of a well-functioning democracy. For nations experiencing the difficult rite of passage from nondemocratic regimes, the presence of outside election monitors who can assure the world—and a country’s citizens—that the electoral process was indeed free and fair is crucial. Since the early 1990s, the United States … Read more
Political Representation, Policy & Inclusion
Social inclusion is a buzzword for politicians these days. Whether deployed as part of a campaign platform (as Ollanta Humala did in Peru last year) or used as a catch phrase to describe the root of malaise (as Barack Obama has done in the United States), the idea of promoting inclusion of disenfranchised groups has … Read more
A Matter of Transparency: The Top One Percent in the Americas
What is the income share of the region’s super-rich? It may be hard to believe, but this question can be answered only for Canada and the United States. Thanks to the tax transparency of these two countries and the herculean work undertaken by the Top Incomes Project, we know the share of income received by … Read more
